People Can Fly's manic shooter Bulletstorm is widely considered to be a flop, selling less than 1M units across three platforms, but lead level designer Wojciech Madry claims it was "the most successful new IP that year."

The first day of the Xbox 360 "Ultimate Game Sale" has some pretty good deals on Xbox Live Marketplace, with Assassin's Creed 3 being sold for $14.99 USD, Far Cry 3 for $19.99, Max Payne 3 for $9.99 and Borderlands 2 for only $9.99.

Now that EA has abolished their Online Pass system the back catalogue for activating second-hand copies for multiplayer via Xbox Live have all dropped their costs. The one-time codes no longer terrorise gamers.

That means online components and 'exclusive' VIP content can be enjoyed by all, once again. Price drops include The Stone Prisoner for Dragon Age: Origins which was a mugging of 1200 MSP.

Publisher EA is shaking things up and among the casualties list is apparently the EA Partners label which saw third-party developers have their work signed up for distribution through EA's retail channels.

The likes of Crysis, Left 4 Dead, Portal 2, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Bulletstorm and Rock Band all passed through the program, but now it faces the chop in the pursuit of streamlining.